Students need adequate sleep not only to perform well in the classroom but also to excel in athletics. Many sports teams require early morning practices and team lifts. Although this may seem like a good way to gain an advantage over other teams, it ultimately hurts athletes rather than helping. Morning practices should be banned in order to maximize student-athlete performance.
Early morning practices do not set students up for optimal athletic performance. According to the Cable News Network (CNN), sleep inertia is a circadian process that causes decreased energy and increased fatigue when waking up early or after a lack of sleep. Not only can this lead to insufficient effort and poor-quality practices, it can also increase the risk of injury. In the morning, athletes’ muscles are typically sore and stiff, leading to poor technique increasing the likelihood of getting injured.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, after a night’s rest, muscles are typically cooler and less flexible, making them more susceptible to strains if not properly warmed up before intense activity. This lack of flexibility can lead to improper form during exercises, elevating the risk of injury.
The most important issue relating to morning practice is sleep deprivation, one of the most pressing health issues among teenagers today. According to Child’s Mind Institute, around 70 percent of teenagers experience sleep deprivation and do not get adequate rest. This harms energy levels, focus and physical growth and development which are all essential for athletic performance. When athletes do not get proper sleep, it can stunt their growth, weaken their bones and muscles and stall the recovery process.
According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the average teenager gets just over seven hours of sleep per night, despite needing more than nine hours as their bodies and brains are still developing. Adolescents are also undergoing significant physical, intellectual and emotional growth during this period of development. Teenagers already don’t get enough sleep, and morning practice only makes it worse. All of this leads to inferior athletic performance, which is why morning practices should be banned from all sports to help athletes succeed.
Early morning wake-ups also impair cognitive function, making it harder to focus. This includes worsened memory, slower reaction times and poor problem-solving skills, harming academic performance. According to Idaho State University, 50 percent of students report daytime sleepiness and 70 percent get insufficient sleep, resulting in lower grade point averages, impaired learning and worsened moods. This demonstrates that morning practices clearly harm students, as it is detrimental for their learning and focus throughout the day.
Apart from the physical and mental impacts, another major but often overlooked issue is the lack of access to transportation students typically have. Some students don’t have a car or a ride from their parents, especially so early in the morning. This makes it difficult for students to participate in sports, since they can’t attend required morning practices.
Coaches may argue that morning practices set teams up for success because athletes get more time to improve their team skills and individual athleticism, while also making time for other extracurriculars after school. Although this may hold some truth, overtraining combined with sleep deprivation is a recipe for injury and future problems with health and education. Long-term wellness and recovery is more important than putting in slightly more work in the mornings. Prioritizing students’ recovery and sleep is essential to ensure they remain healthy and thrive both academically and athletically.
Coaches and the athletic administrators must recognize that morning practices often do more harm than good. These practices need to be entirely prohibited, not simply made optional. For many athletes, “optional” practices are essentially mandatory, as missing them can hurt their playing time. In most cases, coaches perceive those who attend as more committed, creating an unfair disadvantage for students who are unable to attend due to transportation challenges or need sufficient rest.
Banning morning practices would promote healthy sleeping habits, support academic and athletic success, protect student-athlete physical health and promote equity. If schools truly value the well-being and long-term success of their student-athletes, they must prioritize rest and recovery over chasing a competitive advantage. It’s time to pick smarter and healthier strategies that help student-athletes thrive.
